Steeple Aston April 2021 Issue No. 572
Inside SAL this month:
• Visiting Bletchingdon • Gardening jobs for April • Eggs: cooking and dyeing • Easter maze and word play • And much more HARRIS’S STORES & POST OFFICE Opening hours: 7.30am - 7.30pm (Mon-Fri) 8.00am - 7.30pm (Sat) 8.00am - 6.00pm (Sun) PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Fresh bread from Nash’s Bakery. Fresh meat and poultry. Quality frozen fish and sea-food. Organic free-range eggs. Bread rolls and baguettes baked daily on the premises. Cakes: a taste of home-made. Off-licence with a wide range of beers, wines and spirits. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Top-up for mobiles, gas and electric. Fax and photocopying services. Dry cleaning agent. National Lottery tickets and much more. Thank you all for your continued support. Please let us know of any ideas or suggestions you may have of ways in which we can extend our services to you. Tel: 01869 340201 e-mail: [email protected] April 2021: CONTENTS
Click on the item below to go straight to its page. To return to Contents, click on the page number at the foot of any page.
APRIL FEATURES PAGE Steeple People 7 Lockdown cookbook 5 Sustainable Steeple 23 Do rabbits lay chocolate eggs? 12 Plant a tree 13 REPORTS FROM CLUBS PAGE Walking in Oxfordshire 31 & SOCIETIES Bee-friendly gardening 27 AD&D Photographic Society 34 Cricket Report 35 REGULAR FEATURES PAGE Golf Society 33 Arts page 8 Valentine Club 31 Child’s Play 20 Women’s Institute 30 Church Matters 39 Crossword 21 INFORMATION PAGE Crossword answers 26 Bus times 43 Editorial 3 Calendar 44 Gardening Spot 11 Church Services 42 Have you ever been to…? 22 Directory 2 In the Kitchen 18-19 Noticeboard 4 Poetry Corner 17 Rubbish bin collection dates 43 Steeplejack 14-15 Village Hall News 27
Cover photo: Nigel Francis. Steeple Aston’s Maisie and Ted at the Easter Bunnies table.
Steeple Aston COPY ADVERTS All adverts, and all advertising queries All articles and letters to the Editors (availability, prices, dimensions, suitability of [email protected] illustrations, etc.) to Charlotte Bartlett [email protected] 01869 347347 COPY DEADLINES ADVERTISING DEADLINES The copy deadline for SAL has now Please note: there is a new deadline for changed to the 15th of each month. adverts (black & white only), which should be submitted no later than the 15th of the The copy deadline for the May 2021 month. th issue is therefore 15 April. ADVERTISING RATES Non-commercial adverts: READ STEEPLE ASTON LIFE ONLINE 1 page (village events only)- £15 ½ page - £12, ¼ page- £6. https://www.steepleaston.org.uk/sal-magazine Commercial adverts: ½ page- £15, ¼ page- £ 8
1 Steeple Aston Directory
Age UK Richard Preston 340512 Nigel Grugeon Allotments (Church) SACAA Clerk [email protected] Angling Club Antony Morley [email protected] Archive (SAVA) Chairman Martin Lipson 347046
Badminton (Tuesday mornings) Barbara Brewer 340423
Badminton (Thursday evenings) Lydia Powell 347746
Beekeepers (Swarm collection, advice) Paul Honigmann 340665
Bell ringers Graham & Dorothy Clifton 347273
Hand-bell ringers Sally Cooper 347173 Brownies Fiona McLoone 340132 Catholic Church - Father Tony Joyce 01608 642703 St Teresa's (Charlbury) Cherwell District Council Bodicote House 01295 227001 Choral Society Chair Ann Livings 233518 Church of England (St Peter & St Paul) Rector Rev Marcus Green 340903
Church Wardens Eileen Baglin-Jones, Graham Clifton 340099 , 347273
Methodist Church – Tackley Rev Paul Carter 01865 243216 Steward Tim Bailey 01869 331516 Councillors - Cherwell District Council Cllr Mike Kerford-Byrnes 07805 665393 Cllr Bryn Williams 07836 271998 Cllr Hugo Brown Cricket Club Chairman Peter Higgins 347493 Crimestoppers 0800 555111 Deddington Guides Marian Trinder 340806, 07786001641 Deddington Health Centre Appointments 338611 Repeat Prescriptions 10am - 3pm 338847 Out of Hours 111 Dr Radcliffe's C of E School Head Teacher Frances Brown 340204 Football Club Secretary Peter Wild 07950 837773 Garden Club Chairman Richard Preston 340512 Golf Society Chairman Alan Brewer 340423 Horticultural Society Show Secretary Vicky Clifton 07817 025948 Parish Council Chairman / Clerk Richard MacAndrew/ Cathy Fleet 347209, 347000 Police 24hr Call Centre (non emergency) 101 Post Office & Harris Stores Raj 340201 Pre-school 340863 Public House Red Lion Aidan & Kegan Madden 340225 Robinson’s Close Letting Agent Katie Rushworth 340196 Scouts Group Colin Cassford 243038 Sports & Recreation Centre Letting Agent Katie Rushworth 340196 Steeple Aston Walking Group Penny, Stuart, Sue and Graham [email protected] Toddler Group Charlotte Clarke 07799 030490 Valentine Club Richard & Daphne Preston 340512 Village Hall (see advertisement) Letting Agent Katie Rushworth 340196 Village Website www.steepleaston.org.uk Editor: Jenny Bell 347714 Volunteer Connect - 0300 3030125 Community transport scheme Women's Institute President Linda Needle 340028
2 Editorial
“....folly is not always folly.” “Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more Jane Austen fools in it than ever.” (Charles Lamb, essayist and poet, 1775 to 1834).
It is a convention that an editor, in their April edition, includes an item Steeple Aston of fake news, otherwise known as an April Fool. In a break with this April 2021 tradition, I have decided not to include any such nonsense in this issue. And if you believe that, I have fooled you already! Issue No. 572 As I write, stage one of lockdown easing is already underway. Two Editors: people from different households can now meet outside for iced coffee Angela Smith and Robert Scott (the drink might have started hot, but the cold weather will soon change [email protected] that!). Stage two, in mid-April, will see the opening of all shops, hairdressers and beauty salons. Stage three, in mid-May, allows pubs Treasurer: Vaughan Billings 01869 340857 and restaurants to serve customers indoors; theatres and cinemas will also be able to open. Stage four, from mid-June, removes all remaining Secretary:Jenny Taylor restrictions. All this, of course, is dependent on a continuing fall in 01869 340551 Covid-19 cases. Life should slowly return to normal, with services inside Advertising: the Church and a programme of activities and events in the village hall. Charlotte Bartlett Steeple Aston Life will bring you all the details as and when they 01869 347347 become available. [email protected]
Deliveries: In the meantime, we continue to suggest online music and theatre to Stuart & Penny Cummins keep you entertained. There is also a crossword to tax the little grey 01869 349155 cells, plus a maze to solve and a seasonal word game. Enjoy. [email protected] This issue of SAL is, like many others, printed in black-and-white. To Layout design: see the photographs in glorious colour visit the digital edition at: Edward Dowler, Martin Lipson steepleaston.org.uk/sal-magazine/
Committee: Stay safe. Edwina Kinch, Jenny Bell, Sue McLean, Nigel Francis Robert Photo: A Comma butterfly photographed by Ben Wade-Martins in April 2020. Once a rare sight in Britain, the Comma has made a successful comeback in the last 40 years.
3 Steeple Aston Noticeboard
CORONAVIRUS MESSAGE FROM DEDDINGTON HEALTH CENTRE
Coronavirus Vaccine:Correction: Please Last domonth not contactwe incorrectly Deddington cited HealthMartin CentreDale as regarding being the vaccine. The NHSa member will let of you the know Horticultural when it isSociety. your turn. In fact, It is importantMartin is notnot ato contact the NHS or your practicemember for of athe vaccination society. before then. Thank you.
If you are concerned that you might have Coronavirus, or have been in contact with someone who has it, please do not come to the surgery. Stay at home, avoid close contact with other people and use the NHS online Coronavirus service https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 to find out what to do next.
Masks are now required for all visits to the Centre, including the Pharmacy.
Over 50? Had a positive COVID test with symptoms? Researchers need your help.
People aged over 50 who have had a positive COVID test and are showing symptoms of the virus are being sought for research into helping them get better quickly. Over 50s with certain underlying health conditions and all over-65s with suspected COVID-19 can apply to take part in the University of Oxford study at participating GP practices (which include the Deddington Health Centre) or www.principletrial.org. Participants are randomly allocated to receive usual care or usual care and an existing medication. It is hoped the trial can prevent people in these groups needing to go to hospital. Contact [email protected] / 0800 138 0880.
Baby girl for Angela Smith
Congratulations to Angela Smith, co-editor of Steeple Aston Life, and her husband David on the birth of their baby daughter. “Elodie Poppy Smith was born at 1.28pm on Friday 19th February 2021 weighing 9lbs exactly,” writes Angela. “She certainly kept us waiting, as she was 18 days late! Elodie is already bright and alert and has been treated to many cuddles and kisses from her big brother James. She’s looking forward to meeting everyone when lockdown lifts.” Angela moved to Steeple Aston five years ago, and took over as co-editor of SAL early in 2020, but is currently on maternity leave.
4 What have you cooked during Lockdown?
We thought it might be fun to collect some of the recipes people in the village have used while we were following the rules and staying at home!
They might be tried and much tested old favourites, or perhaps experiments tried out to relieve the tedium of some of those boring days when there were few highlights and we had to find excitement indoors. Collected together the recipes could make a record of what we were making in our kitchens during the pandemic and in the future when life has become normal again, act as a reminder of this year which has been like no other.
Please will you make a contribution to what we hope will become the Steeple Aston Locked Down Cookbook? Just send your recipe to us at Hill House, either by email to [email protected] or written out – drop it in to any one of us by the end of April please. We will credit each one – unless you prefer to remain anonymous! It will add to the fun if you can include a few brief comments about your recipe – how it was received by those tasting it, why you’ve chosen it, where you found it or who gave it to you for example.
We will assemble the recipes and attempt some kind of order. Then, once the collection has been printed, you will be able to buy your copy (in aid of church funds), try out some of the dishes or treats your neighbours have been enjoying during Lockdown and acquire memories of the year in which we were all locked down. Here’s an example of the format we’d like you to follow please:
Mary’s chicken An easy recipe for someone with little time – or inclination to cook!
Ingredients for four. Cook on the hob. 15g butter 4 skinless chicken breasts 1 chicken stock sachet 100ml apple juice 1 medium onion, chopped 15g cornflour 300ml milk 10g chopped mixed herbs of choice (use dried herbs if that’s easiest) 100g seedless black grapes
Method 1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry onion and chicken for about 3 minutes. 2. Blend cornflour with milk and add to chicken with herbs and chicken stock sachet. 3. Bring to the boil, stirring, then add apple juice. 4. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning chicken over about half way. Check that the chicken is cooked through. 5. Add grapes just before serving.
Bev Davies, Alison Woodrow and Eileen Baglin-Jones from Hill House
5 6 Steeple People
How long have you lived in Steeple Aston? Diana Gardner 57 years. What brought you here? My mum had a house built on Southside. What do you like best about living in Steeple Aston? Steeple people friendliness. The countryside. Is there anything you don’t like about living here? My only complaints are that it’s too far from the sea and that Paines Hill is too steep. How has the village changed in the time you’ve been here? The growth in population. It’s sad not knowing such a high percentage of the people who one’s likely to pass in the street. Give a potted history of yourself – in 40 words or less. I lived on the Herts/Essex border in my early years, moved to the Norfolk coast when I was nine, completed my schooling there while my parents were in Northern Nigeria. What do your family or friends find most annoying about you? I dread to think. Multiple options! Early bird or night owl? Cat or dog I’m certainly not an early bird. I’m very fond of cats. Technology: friend or foe Although I’m computer illiterate I’ve so enjoyed using Zoom to keep in touch with family and friends. What was your first job? I did a Christmas holiday job sorting parcels at the Becket Street office in Oxford. What do you do for a living now? I’m enjoying retirement. Most of my teaching was in Oxfordshire, although I had a wonderful two years relief teaching in different schools all over New Zealand. What is the best job you’ve ever done? This must be my 19 years at Dr Radcliffe’s primary school in Steeple Aston!! Such camaraderie and fun, which continues whenever we meet up. What is the worst job you’ve ever done? Working in a fruit cannery in Australia because of the appalling lack of hygiene, long hours and the continual din of cans rattling along overhead wire tracks. On my return I saw the familiar labelling in our Wavy Line shop, but don’t worry, the factory has been closed down now! Tell us about any interesting hobbies you have. Bell ringing has had a huge influence in my life. I started ringing in Salisbury while I was at training college. Back home in Steeple I’ve continued with this hobby, including handbell ringing, making so many good friends and finding a husband. I’ve been made welcome in so many bell towers over England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. I’ve rung the Southernmost bell in the world. What’s your favourite piece of music? Impossible question, every day I’d come up with a different answer. Today it’s Handel’s Silent Worship. What is your all-time favourite book? Tess of the d’Urbervilles. What do you do to relax? I’ve done a lot of this during lockdown. Jigsaws, books, lacework, painting, puzzles, playing simple tunes on the piano, etc. What do you get grumpy/mad about? I abhor cruelty to any living creature and cannot forget some dreadful things I’ve witnessed. What makes you happiest in the world? Obviously my grandchildren. I‘m so lucky to have them close enough to share in their fun and development. Also, it’s so heart-warming when past pupils say hello, as they’ve changed too much for me to recognise many of them. Tell us something about you that most people don’t know. I scored my first and only goal from the back of an elephant during a game of polo. The other team levelled the score when an elephant got tired of its rider’s incompetence and nonchalantly kicked the ball into the goal mouth herself.
7 The ARTS Page
This month we are featuring what has entertained or uplifted a few of you during lockdown. Please write in for next and subsequent months with your suggestions.
We’ll start with one simple, beautiful poem by W B Yeats ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, performed by Anthony Hopkins. bit.ly/3cDhYUd
Margaret Bulleyment I swear by Dvorak for all occasions. The two sets of Slavonic Dances are only short, but they cover a variety of moods. The 8th Symphony is another gem! Most people know 'The Lark Ascending’ by Vaughan Williams, but his symphonies make wonderful listening. 'Sinfonia Antartica' conjures up vast open spaces and his 'London Symphony' the bustle of the city. I thoroughly enjoyed the NT's 'Jane Eyre' production which is circulating still on Sky Arts, a memorable and lively production.
Martin and Ruth Dale On Netflix: ‘The Dig’ about the discoveries at Sutton Hoo and the unsung hero of it. On iPlayer: ‘A United Kingdom’ tells the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama, the King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he married in 1948 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. Royal Opera House: The 2015 performance of ‘Marriage of Figaro’. For £3 who can resist this? But only available to April 4th 2021. bit.ly/3rUngkH
Lynn Dowler ‘The Museum of Broken Promises’ by Elizabeth Buchan. I have very much enjoyed reading this.
Peter Higgins The best film I have seen over the last year is ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’, which made me both laugh and cry in equal measure. It’s a story about a boy with Down’s Syndrome who wants to be a professional wrestler and escapes from his Care Home to pursue his dream. Many might be put off by the title or even the subject matter, but stick with it, as it is a truly uplifting film. It stars Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson. bit.ly/3vxT01d
Robert Scott I can recommend Sky Arts. Originally a subscription service, it is now available on Freeview channel 11. It only publishes a schedule for seven days ahead, but recent programmes have included 'Twelfth Night' (the National Theatre production with Tamsin Greig), 'Jane Eyre' (a National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic production), and the musicals 'Miss Saigon', 'Cats' and 'Les Misérables'. A current schedule is at: freeview.co.uk/tv-guide
Carl Tomlinson I've had more time to read during lockdown, and found delight and insight in ‘English Pastoral: An Inheritance’ by James Rebanks. This explores one family's relationship with the land they have farmed for several generations and asks us to consider our own engagement with our habitat. I'm currently enjoying ‘Light Perpetual’ by Francis Spufford which imagines the – sometimes banal, sometimes dramatic – lives which five young victims of the Blitz might have led, had they lived.
Thank you to all our contributors.
Nick and Heather
8 Saturday 24th April Saturday 22nd May
9 JOHN WHITWORTH TREE SURGERY
BODICOTE COTTAGE 16 HIGH STREET BODICOTE OXFORDSHIRE OX15 4BS Tel/Fax: 01295 268170 Mobile: 07970 154552
10 You have a choice! We can talk about The Pandemic, That Interview, Brexit, or Gardening. I think I could fill a page on any of these subjects, but would probably end up like Piers Morgan and anyhow, gardening is a much more pleasant subject. So apologies if you are disappointed, but gardening it is!
Have you noticed how light the evenings have become, especially now the clocks have moved forward? Breaking news! So have the plants, both invited and those uninvited into our garden. I mentioned last time that March was an exciting month where the garden suddenly breaks into life, April is possibly one of the busiest times of the year for the gardener. So, what should we be doing now that we have so much time on our hands with the lighter evenings and the kids back to school? For a start, and I apologise for banging on about this, but keep the weeds at bay as they are competing for space and nutrients in your personal space.
Mow the lawn regularly, lowering the cutting blades after a couple of cuts to an acceptable height where the grass can flourish without feeling it has been shaved off. Give the lawn a feed either using one of the numerous brands available in the shops or, as I often do, being careful with the money, feed it some blood, fish and bone meal. The latter will feed your lawn, but not kill any weeds or moss so your choice should be dependent on the state of your grass.
Cut back any early flowering shrubs once they have finished flowering to encourage new growth in readiness for next year. Protect fruit blossom if possible from late frosts. Not always easy, but worthwhile as I have discovered over the past two years when a late frost removed any chance of me picking my favourite fruit, the apricot. I have now created a frame over most of the wall-trained tree and draped some heavy-duty fleece over it in the hope that I have a crop of those delicious apricots.
Tie in climbing roses to form a framework that will show off the wonderful blooms in the months to come. You can now sow hardy annuals and herbs directly to the soil outdoors once the ground warms a little and is not water-logged. As I often tell you, feed shrubs and roses this month as they need a meal just like us. If you haven’t already done so, cut back any old growth from perennials and grasses to allow new growth and if you grow clematis or honeysuckle, tie them in regularly to provide a framework for this year’s flowering season.
In the greenhouse, if you haven’t already done so, and you really should have completed this task by now, clean the glass and everything in it to reduce the possibility of infection from all the horrible little pests and diseases that are out to get you if they can. Plant tomato plants towards the middle of this month, but keep an eye on the weather and protect from frosts should they be forecast. Do not plant cucumbers until May at the earliest as they can’t stand cold, dull conditions, but will thrive given plenty of natural warmth and light. Sow such crops as carrots and beetroot direct into the ground making sure you have raked the soil down to a fine tilth and don’t forget to mark the rows with a stick and a label.
Potatoes will start to appear from the end of the month and once through the soil, earth them up to encourage a better crop and reduce the possibility of frost damage should we get a frost in late April or May. This is a great time to prepare for runner beans, my favourite vegetable, by creating a trench one spit deep and digging in organic matter at the bottom. This in turn will help to feed the plants as they develop and retain moisture during the hot summer months.
I will leave you with one thought. “Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.” Enjoy your garden and keep safe. Light is at the end of the tunnel and our gardens will help you get there in a safe and enjoyable manner.
Richard Preston 11 Do rabbits lay chocolate eggs?
Photo: Nigel Francis
Easter is a moveable feast. Since the 4th century, the date of Easter is set for the first Sunday following the Paschal full moon. This is the first full moon of spring occurring on or shortly after the spring equinox. If the first spring full moon is on a Sunday, Easter is set for the following Sunday. Confused? You should be, because while astronomers can predict the precise date and time of a full moon, the Church uses its own calculations which do not always follow the science. Most people just check a diary or calendar for the end result.
March 22nd is the earliest day of the year on which Easter can fall. April 25th is the latest day. So this year, April 4th is neither early nor late. The last time Easter fell on March 22nd was in 1818; the next will be 2285. The last time Easter fell on April 25th was 1983; the next will be 2078.
You might think it would be easier to have a fixed date for Easter. You are not alone. The UK Easter Act 1928 set out that Easter Day should be the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. The Act received Royal Assent on August 3 1928, but although discussed in Parliament over the years has never been implemented.
Where do rabbits and eggs fit into all this? Well, the egg came first. In early Christianity it was a symbol associated with rebirth. The Easter bunny originates in German folklore. Children were told about the ‘Osterhase’ which distributed eggs those who had been good. ‘Hase’ means hare, not rabbit, but the original meaning appears to have been lost when German immigrants settled in America in the 1700s. The children made nests in which the coloured eggs could be laid. Carrots would be left out for the rabbit, in much the same way we leave a sherry and a mince pie for Santa Claus. Originally, the eggs were of the hen-laid variety. Chocolate Easter eggs were introduced in the early 19th century.
The answer to the question at the top of this page is no, rabbits do not lay chocolate eggs. A rabbit is viviparous, which means it gives birth to live young. At least, most do. There are over 300 species of rabbit, one of which is oviparous. The Zemmouri is native to Morocco and lays its eggs in underground warrens, incubating them until the young hatch out. Baby rabbits are called kittens. A group of young rabbits is called a nest. A group of adult rabbits is called a herd.
Robert Scott
12 “A society thrives when elders plant trees in whose shade they know they will never sit”
This lovely sentiment came through our door recently on an envelope advertising ‘Friends of the Earth’. The more I look at it the more beautiful it becomes.
Do you remember ‘Plant a Tree in 73’? Yes? It means like me you’re getting on a bit! It was a Government-sponsored national campaign which encouraged the population to plant trees during the 1973 ‘National Tree Planting Year’ to help mitigate the loss of so many trees to Dutch Elm disease. This brilliant initiative continues with ‘National Tree Week’ which has seen the planting of thousands of trees every year since 1975.
However, we all know that it’s not just trees that cleanse the air. The oceans and the algae are just as good, if not better, though they’re struggling as we all know. But planting is all about what we ourselves can do.
Here in the villages there are so many trees and everyone is so careful of them that planting more seems an anomaly. Anyone here with a reasonably sized garden has trees in it. If we were to count the trees in Steeple and Middle Aston it would probably run into many thousands. One day I might even make a shot at estimating the number!
Middle Aston has planted 103 trees this year. Brilliant! Fantastic! (See SAL January 2021, page 13). Wouldn’t it be wonderful to echo that somehow in Steeple Aston? We would not be planting them for ourselves, but for our children. And here’s the thing – also for all those folk who live in flats and have no garden. They can’t plant, we can. Perhaps we could even ‘twin’ with a tower block somewhere and invite people from it to come and plant trees with us when we’re allowed to move about more freely?
However, the problem with Steeple Aston is ‘Where’? I’m sure as a village we’d love to plant more, but our open spaces are either very much used – for example, Robinsons Field – or small – for example on South Side where there are already birch trees, etc. And anyway, I’m never sure whether that’s public or private land. Years ago the avenue of trees from the main road along ‘60 Foot’ was planted and as they mature they make a lovely entrance to the village, plus they must now be gathering C02 quite well.
We used to live in Rochester where there were many small streets with long terraces of houses – Victorian ‘villas’. I always assumed that they were barren from the point of view of nature. However, when we all started to view lots of pictures from the air of our localities I was stunned to see that their gardens looked like a large inner courtyard and woodland. Of course, there were areas of concrete, but any self-respecting bird would find somewhere to nest there.
So it’s always possible to have trees even in what might be an unprepossessing space. Please may we put our thinking caps on and consider planting more?
Martin Dale
13 Parish Council Meeting Notes
The last Parish Council meeting started chaotically. explained there would be a temporary new drive so Until the most recent meeting the Clerk had been large lorries would not have to make the sharp sending us invitations on Zoom, but this time she turning involved with the existing drive. One of the was expecting a bit more from us; it was at least a Councillors said he hoped the owner “would have quarter of an hour before we were all safely logged better luck with Cherwell’s planners than others who into the meeting. have tried to get modern bits in the conservation area”. Wincote is the last house on the left in Cow Lane as you head out of the village. Its owner came to the Our District Councillor was at the meeting and he meeting bringing his proposed development plans claimed that a recent haircut made sure he no longer for the house to show to the Councillors. I can clearly looked like Barbara Cartland. Someone pointed out remember the unpleasantness at a village meeting that he thought she was dead and therefore probably ten or so years ago when the same owner presented not a pretty sight. Then, leaving his looks on one development proposals then. Clearly the owner side, he explained what had been going on at remembered as well because he started the Cherwell District Council. He said there is a presentation by explaining that his current plans were nationwide decision that food waste should be “significantly different, were more sensitive and collected every week. The result for us will be that more in keeping with the surroundings”. garden waste will continue to be collected every fortnight and food waste every week. In order to The current plans would involve retaining the old recoup some of the extra costs there will be a charge house on the left side as you approach and pulling for emptying our garden waste bins, though he did down the rest. The footprint of the new building on not know how much this would be. All I could find the rest of the site would be about double the existing out about this after the meeting was that in another footprint, but would be much more in keeping with part of Oxfordshire there is a charge of £35 a year the old house. We were shown pictures of what the per garden waste bin. It seems counterintuitive to me development would be like and the new build is to charge for garden waste, which I assume is intended to be similar in feel to the old house, for composted, instead of charging for refuse that goes example with similar sized windows. The new parts to landfill. would be built in a mixture of ironstone and limestone “to brighten its appearance”. The plans We were told that one person had shown interest in include a large and tall barn-like room at the far end joining the Council, but there is still another vacancy. from the entrance which would be kitchen, dining The Councillors discussed what attributes they hoped room and sitting room. This would be connected to the applicant for the other vacancy might possess. the house by a largely glass and modern-looking There were all sorts of suggestions and one walkway. The house would be as sustainable as Councillor pointed out that physical strength and a possible with solar panels and air source heat pumps. DIY toolkit were not a condition of being a The old orchard, which was below the house, will Councillor. If you are interested you can come to the be replanted where necessary and a swimming pool next meeting or contact the Clerk, and changing rooms incorporated. Cathy Fleet on 01869 347000 or at [email protected] The owner was asked whether he would use the house or whether it was a commercial venture or The Councillors have decided they should have a some variety of property development. The owner base for the speed sign on Fenway so it can slow said this was not the case and he and his family down vehicles as they come towards the dangerous would be the users. He said he had talked to the corner. It will be sited by the telegraph pole opposite immediate neighbours and no one had objected to the entrance to the stables. There was a long the plans, but there were worries about parking and discussion about whether the Councillors should ask traffic while the building works were happening. He for a large white SLOW sign on the road, in addition continued 14 Parish Council Meeting Notes to a proposed sign warning ‘Horses’. It was finally Once a year the Councillors check all the Parish agreed that a sign on the road surface was not in Council paperwork and bring it up to date. The keeping with the rural nature of the village and the Chairman asked the Councillors to each volunteer to Councillors would keep this possibility ‘up their check one of the documents. It took quite a lot of sleeve’ at present. perseverance, but he finally succeeded.
The Play Area has been hugely successful, but the The Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan committee result is that it is now looking a bit the worse for has asked its eleven Parish Councils about their wear. The Councillors have decided to get everything response to the proposed introduction of a bus gate that has been damaged either repaired or replaced. near Middleton Stoney. Our Councillors noted that As far as I can see from the list of jobs, the only there has been no suggestion that it would be sensible change to the original design is to see if there is a to see how the pandemic has altered the need for the way to keep more of the sand in the ‘toddler prison’. bus, for example because more people may be The work is expected to take two to three weeks and working from home. No one knew whether those will start on 19 April. While the work is being done living in Heyford Park would actually oblige and use the playground will have to be closed and signs will the proposed quarter-hourly bus. Some people are be put up warning the users about the closure. likely to use the bus, but will there be enough of them to compensate for the extra journey time for those A broken coping stone needs to be removed from the outside Heyford Park? A survey of the views of the Village Hall roof and there a was discussion about residents in all eleven Parishes may be held in the who should go up the ladder to get it down. early summer. But this seems a bit pointless as we Fortunately, the husband of one of the Councillors can all guess what it would show; villages affected was encouraged to ‘volunteer’. would disagree and those not affected would be indifferent. On the other hand, it could well make I was asked to mention two issues. First, a request sense to ask the Heyford Park residents about their that we should keep down the volume of any music expected bus use. from our gardens in case it might disturb the neighbours. The other request was that wheelie bins I got a Council Tax demand the day after the meeting should not block pavements on collection days. and it showed an increase in the precept, our Parish Those with buggies are sometimes being forced into Council part, of 3.8%. At a previous Parish Council the road. It was bad luck that the high winds and the meeting I was told our Councillors had asked for an Thursday collection coincided in the previous week extra 2.2% this year. It looks as if Cherwell have which meant a few bins had moved. But some bins made a simple arithmetical error somewhere. A very are a nuisance every collection day irrespective of public way of showing their incompetence? the weather. The next meeting is on 19 April. Do come and join The next discussion was the sort I particularly enjoy. the Zoom meeting and see what is happening. It was about how soon the wreath from the previous year should be removed from the War Memorial. When the village had entered for the Best Kept Village someone said wreaths should be removed in February. The British Legion, a lot more sensibly, say they should go when they get tatty. No one knew exactly when our wreath is usually removed, but they thought it was probably when the War Memorial is This report is the personal view of the SAL tidied each November. After a long discussion they reporter, and is not intended to be a complete decided the wreath should stay for six months with record of the Council meeting. The official record - once approved - will be available at the hope that people would then notice the new one www.steepleaston.org.uk when it appeared. 15 Gas Heating & Service Ltd Plumbing| Heating| Gas
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16 Poetry Corner
Falling from Grace – a Fool's Tale
(Grace is very forgiving ...... up to a point) for I had been playing a dangerous game riding my luck and disguising my shame I've fallen from Grace and it's not very nice 'twas Grace who then granted a portion of time when I was with Grace it was sugar and spice to put right the wrongs and make everything fine she gave me a piggy-back, down to the sea dipped down her shoulder and shook herself free the time I did squander I used it instead to line all my pockets and feather my bed Grace is the cause of my discomfort now being carried around by this wonderful girl I'm very unsettled but don't ask me how and that's when my problems began to unfurl I loved every minute whilst riding her back but now that I've fallen I'm under attack 'cause Grace only carries a limited time she cannot support you once you commit crime She looked pleased to carry a burden like me so please learn the lesson and don't copy me gave no indication she wished to be free or you will soon join me here under the sea so when the drop came it was with some surprise the tumble exposed all my terrible lies Peter Wild
The problematic limerick
Since the pandemic means that Steeple Aston Spring Show cannot take place this year, the Horticultural Society has run a limerick competition and a photo contest instead.
I’ve been scratching my head for weeks The topic’s a shepherd called Bill, The house resounds to my shrieks The only rhyme I can think of is ‘frill’ The cause of my plight – I’m tired. I’m stressed. I’m trying to write I’m getting depressed A limerick. With this limerick.
It’s much harder than I had thought, Julia Whybrew picked the name Bill I’m tempted to simply abort In a fit of generous goodwill My attempts to compose Because it’s easy to rhyme, One of those Well, despite that, I’m Bloomin’ limericks. Cursing this limerick.
Everyone knows how limericks sound This shepherd and his flock of sheep The way that the rhyme comes around Are depriving me of my sleep. The format is easy Bill’s ewes and his rams But it’s making me queasy. His sweet little lambs This limerick. Won’t make a limerick.
Why am I struggling so? I can’t get Bill out of my head It’s for Steeple Horticultural show He even joins me in bed. They’ve sent out a call Well, enough is enough. Asking us all I don’t give a stuff! To write limericks. I’ll enter a photo instead.
Cathy Lawday 17 In the Kitchen
Forgive me for repeating myself, but collecting freshly laid eggs from my hens’ nesting box, never fails to lift my spirits. It is always a treat, especially if they are still slightly warm. I can’t help but marvel at the nutrition inside that smooth shell, taking so little effort to release into a pan, and combined with so little, or a lot, to rustle up a quick meal. Buy the best you can afford, free-range, or find a local ‘farm gate’ seller. They are always freshest.
Apart from breakfast favourites, special fried rice, Spanish omelette, Shakshuka (look it up – it’s fantastic) and those delicious egg-based sauces, mayonnaise, hollandaise, bearnaise – all so well worth cooking at home, rather than buying the approximation. Eggs appear in very many recipes, disguised, so people who don’t like the yolk, or ‘the white gives me the shivers’, consume their goodness. And don’t forget egg custard!
Here are a few of my eggy favourites. Fritters of all sorts are good food and good fun. Try these.
Cheese and Leek Fritters
400g leeks, trimmed, washed and finely sliced 25g butter 200g plain flour 2 eggs 225ml milk 200g mature farmhouse cheese, Gouda is good and tasty Salt and pepper / Chilli pepper / Freshly grated nutmeg
Melt the butter in a large pan, add the leeks, cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. This should take about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, add the eggs and break up with a whisk, add the milk gradually, whisking and knocking in a little flour at a time. Add the cooled leeks and grated cheese, season with salt, pepper, chilli pepper and nutmeg to taste. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, preferably non-stick. Drop a small spoonful of batter onto the pan, allow to cook and slightly bubble, before flipping and cook for another one or two minutes. Serve with a tomato salad and lightly dressed salad leaves.
Wild garlic is now ready to harvest. Find a shady area, legally just off a footpath, to gather it. Try it shredded into fritters (modify the recipe above) with peas, or make pancakes or omelettes with some buttery mushrooms.
Weight of Eggs Seasonal Cake
Blood oranges and forced rhubarb (now a little cheaper than at the beginning of the season) are still around in shops. Their flavours combine to make a delicious cake, which makes a scrumptious pudding too. Poach the rhubarb in sweetened blood orange juice. Weigh out three eggs. Use that weight of sugar and butter, cream together as you would for a sponge cake. Take the weight of the eggs, and use half that in self-raising flour, half of ground almonds, and a teaspoon of baking powder. Whisk all together with grated rind of blood orange. Line a loaf tin with baking paper. With a slotted spoon make a layer of poached rhubarb, then cover with cake mixture. Bake in a medium oven until the mixture is firm the touch. Cool in the tin. Serve with crème fraiche and the remaining poached rhubarb. continued 18 In the Kitchen
Greek Coddled Eggs (not authentic!) – serves 2 to 4
Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 and boil a kettle. Lightly grease four ovenproof ramekins, shallow cups or jars.
A little butter or olive oil for greasing 4 very fresh eggs 120g full fat Greek yoghurt Small bunch of dill, or chives 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced 100g feta crumbled Freshly ground black pepper Buttered bread or toast to serve
Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a mixing bowl, and very carefully the yolks on a plate (easier still – if you have a four spare little bowls, one in each). Beat the Greek yoghurt, all but a tablespoon of the chopped dill, two of the sliced spring onions, all but 1 tbsp of the crumbled feta, and plenty of ground black pepper. The mixture will look grainy. Divide this between the cups, then drop a yolk into the middle of each. Season lightly and cover each with a square of buttered foil. Put them into a small roasting tin. Pour enough boiling water into the tin to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 12 minutes, allowing a minute either side if your eggs are bigger or smaller. Meanwhile, prepare your bread or toast. When done, take the foil off the cups, and scatter with remaining dill, spring onion and feta. Serve on a warmed plate, big enough to take your bread or toast on the side.
Caroline Edwards
Food for thought
You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg. (Maya Angelou)
Although I cannot lay an egg, I am a very good judge of omelettes. (George Bernard Shaw)
A Royal Commission is a broody hen sitting on a china egg. (Michael Foot)
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. (Miguel de Cervantes)
It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs. (Margaret Thatcher)
You can’t just go on being a good egg. You must either hatch or go bad! (C. S. Lewis)
19 Child’s Play
Help the bunny find a path to the basket of Easter eggs. Then colour the drawing with crayons to make it bright and cheerful.
Easter word play
How many new words can you make from some or all of the letters in EASTER?
Each word must have three or more letters. You can only use each letter once (except for E which, as it appears twice, can be used twice). All words must appear in an English dictionary (we used the Oxford Compact English Dictionary). Plurals are allowed. There are several six-letter words (apart from Easter).
Challenge your parents to a competition to see who can find the most words.
Turn to page 26 to compare your list with ours. 20 ???? Mind Games
ACROSS DOWN
1. thigh bone (5) 1. renowned, well-known (6) 4. the portion of a circle represented by the symbol ⌒ 2. power that seems to come from a supernatural (3) source (5) 8. a purple colour between red and violet (7) 3. imposters, often used in sport, to win financial 9. the 44th President of the USA (5) gain (7) 10. a male relative (5) 4. a distinctive smell (5) 11. a chemical irritant used in riot control (4, 3) 5. money demanded for services (7) 12. a white root used as a condiment (11) 6. the animal who delivers the eggs at this time of 17. the adopted surname of a French actor famous for year (6, 5) mime (7) 7. the Persian language (5) 19. a story with a moral, often featuring animals (5) 13. a male rower (7) 21. moist, muggy (5) 14. an amount of money which is less than needed 22. a type of energy, or family (7) (7) 23. in the present moment (3) 15. the largest city in Nebraska, USA (5) 24. a levy or tax (5) 16. the last of Prince Charles’ four Christian names (6) 18. to bequeath property or income (5) Complied by Cathy Lawday. Answers on page 26. 20. the noise made by a sheep or goat (5) 21 Bletchingdon
Photo: Keith Daulby. St. Giles Church, Bletchingdon
Perhaps like me your heart sank when the government’s ‘Road Map’ dates were announced and we realised that our hopes of freedom from Covid-led restrictions had to be put on hold again. There’s some delight to be had, of course, in meeting or passing the same neighbours and their gardens if you regularly take your permitted walk around Steeple Aston. Lovely as our village is however, after all these months of Lockdown I’m suggesting that exploring just a little further afield (without breaking the rules of Lockdown) can enrich our spirits as we see how life is progressing in different places. Unless you have friends or family who live in nearby villages they are probably places you rarely explore, but there is an interest in looking at other peoples’ houses, at how villages are configured and in peeping over walls and hedges to get a better look at gardens and perhaps compare them with those which have become so familiar during your daily walk!
With this in mind and at the suggestion of a neighbour, I took myself to Bletchingdon (or Bletchington, depending on which signpost you believe!). Usually I’m just likely to be driving through on the main road on my way to Wood Eaton or Wheatley, but on a crisp and sunny February day I parked alongside the big triangular green and walked along the footpath next to the wall which I think must border the Bletchingdon Estate, towards Weston-on-the-Green.
There was hardly any traffic so I could look at some interesting houses on the opposite side of the road. I was particularly intrigued by a little cottage called The Bothy which is tucked into the long wall I was tracking and enjoyed some especially lovely houses as the road bent towards Weston. You can drive that way to find the church car park, but I took the wide footpath which led me to the church.
The gated footpath is bordered by a high hedge on the left, but soon opens out onto wide open ground on your right and then you reach what I found to be a delightful open area with the church (St Giles) on my left and the extension churchyard on my right. Walking around this part of the churchyard you discover a charming little close of pretty stone houses. Returning to explore St Giles Church set in what seemed an oasis of calm and peace – and snowdrops – I found it was open for private prayer. Let me now warn you that the pews felt even less comfortable than ours, but I looked enviously at evidence of tasteful re-ordering: lovely smooth floor, beautiful engraved glass door into the tower area and a light wood screen shutting off the area through one arch. All this had been done without disturbing the ancient atmosphere of the village church.
The snowdrops will have died I fear before SAL is printed, but there should be a good display of daffodils in the churchyard, I think, and if you walk on just a little farther a surprise awaits as you come to the horseshoe-shaped and very grand building, now divided into apartments, but which looks as if it used to be the stable block for the Manor house – and nearby its underground car park.
Good walkers can continue to explore, but I was content to retrace my steps and return to the car taking with me memories of a pleasant morning, a change from my usual perambulations and a determination to spend a little time looking more closely at places near to home – places which it is so easy to overlook.
Eileen Baglin-Jones
22 Sustainable Steeple
The Joy of Eggs!
Eggs are brilliant! – apart from tasting great and packing a serious nutritional punch, the carbon footprint of free-range eggs is significantly less than of other animal-based proteins, particularly when you either ‘grow your own’ or buy from a local supplier – and they come in their own biodegradable packaging too!
With Easter fast approaching, why not celebrate the the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes (you humble egg and create some seasonal cheer by can adjust the timing to give you a lighter/stronger decorating a branch or filling a bowl with naturally dyed, colour). Strain and add one tablespoon of vinegar per blown eggs. cup of dye. Leave to cool.
Blowing For the turmeric, use 1 tbsp per cup of water and then boil and simmer as above. You need: Eggs (lighter brown or white eggs are best) Jam jars are great to use for this as you can put one Safety pin/needle or two eggs in each and top with dye, then pop the lid Cocktail stick (or similar) on and leave them to soak – three or four hours for a Straw (not essential) lighter shade, overnight or longer for a richer colour. Jug/Bowl Ideally, turn the eggs about halfway through to ensure an even colour. Once you are happy with your colour, • With the egg in the egg box, gently hold it steady, take your eggs out of the jam jar and leave to dry on then use the safety pin to make a small hole in the top a cooling rack. (tap the pin onto the shell first, then gently push through). Stringing your eggs • Gently insert the cocktail stick into the hole and stir the egg (this will help to break up the yoke). Slightly fiddly, but using a long needle and a strong • Turn the egg over and repeat the above process, thread, poke the needle through the small hole at the this time making the hole a little larger if you can. top and feed in until it comes out of the bottom. Tie a • With the small hole at the top, hold the egg over your large knot, small bead or a short piece of cocktail stick jug/bowl, place your mouth/the straw over the small to the bottom of the thread and gently pull it back up hole and blow gently. It can take a while to get going, into the egg to anchor the thread. Tie a loop in the so be patient. thread at the top of the egg and hang. • You will know the egg is empty when the shell feels light, and you are just getting bubbles of egg white Afterwards coming out of the hole at the bottom. When you have finished with your eggs, you could: • Run your eggs under the hot water tap to wash out • Pack them away in a box for next year any remaining egg, wipe and leave to dry. • Pop them in the compost bin Don’t waste your egg! – why not do some seasonal • Crush them and use around seedlings/plants as a baking and make hot cross buns or a simnel cake? natural slug/snail barrier or feed them to your chickens.
Dyeing When you have finished with the egg box, you could: • Return it or give to someone who keeps chickens There are lots of options for natural dyes, but here are • Tear it up and put onto your compost heap a few to try: • Use it for crafting • Turmeric - yellow/gold - 1 tbsp per cup of water • Fill it with compost and plant a seed in each • White/Red Onion skins – red/brown – skins from 3 compartment (great for sunflowers, peas and more); or 4 onions •. Put it in the recycling bin • Red Cabbage – blues – roughly one-quarter • Beetroot – pinks – 3 medium Happy Easter!
For the onions, red cabbage and beetroot, place in a Amanda Rodgers pan and cover with about an inch of water, bring to [email protected] 23 BENGAL SPICE Restaurant & Take-Away
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25 Answers
Crossword - from page 21
Easter word play - from page 21
Here is our list of words made from letters in EASTER – 62 in total. Have you done better? (We have omitted the rude word and hope you have done the same!)
Three-letter words: are, art, ate, ear, eat, era, ere, eta, rat, ret, sat, sea, see, set, tar, tea, tee Four-letter words: arts, ears, ease, east, eats, erst, rase, rate, rats, rest, sate, sear, seat, seer, sera, sere, star, tare, tars, tear, teas, tees, tree, tsar Five-letter words: arete, aster, eater, erase, ester, rates, resat, reset, saree, stare, steer, tares, taser, tears, tease, terse, trees Six-letter words: aretes, eaters, reseat, teaser
26 Village Hall News
We appreciate that these have been difficult and uncertain times for all our regular users over the last twelve months. As you may well be aware we are out of Tier 4 lockdown and in Step 1 of the government’s guidelines and sadly have no choice but to keep the hall closed for the time being. Not exactly the way we would like to have started the year, but sadly we have no choice. People’s health, safety and well-being must come first. We will continue to monitor the government guidelines and announcements and will re-open just as soon as we can and let you know.
Please note our letting agent is Mrs. Katie Rushworth 01869 340196. Email [email protected]
Collect keys from “Touchstones” The Dickredge, Steeple Aston. OX25 4RS.
Always remember, clean hands, social distancing and don’t forget your mask.
Barbara Brewer, chair
Bee-friendly gardening
There are lots of ways that you can make your garden friendly for bees. Roselle Chapman from Wild Oxfordshire shares some of her top tips. Also see bit.ly/30QRBF3
Bee facts 250 species of bees in the UK 224 wild solitary bees 25 wild bumble bees One domesticated honey bee
Trees you can plant this winter to help pollinators Male grey willow (sallow) Salix cinerea Goat willow Salix caprea Small-leaved lime Tilia cordata Service trees: Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus domestica Apple Malus sp – any, fruit bearing, or ornamental Cherry Plum – Prunus cerasifera Wild Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna/laevigata
Gardening tips • Leave dead plant stems over winter. Hollow stems may be used by bees for overwintering. • Provide flowers throughout the year – some bees emerge as early as February. • Buy organic to ensure bulbs and plants haven’t been treated with neonicotinoids (poisonous to bees). • Have a flowering lawn. • Provide a source of water for bees. • Leave a patch of bare earth – mason bees gather mud to build egg cells. • Include a variety of flower shapes – different species have different tongue lengths.
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29 WI Report
Our last members’ meeting was a year ago for our 102nd Birthday Night. Now, due to the need for compliance with Covid-19 rules, a dilemma existed – what could we do for this year’s 103rd Birthday Night. The solution I offered, which was agreed by the committee, was for me to make and ice cakes which were delivered to every member in individual cake boxes. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny day for the committee to deliver to our members who were pleased to receive their little surprise. Hopefully next year we will be back to normal.
As April is our Annual Meeting month we are having to conduct our election for the committee differently. Members will have to vote via email or post. Pauline Brock, who has been a committee member for many years, is standing down and also myself as President. Pauline and I have received considerable thanks for our many years of work on the committee.
I have been a member of Steeple Aston WI now for over 40 years and in that time have served for many years on the WI committee. I have been Programme Secretary, Secretary, Treasurer and several times President. Being a WI member has taught me many things and I have made many friends throughout these years, especially when I became a member of the Oxfordshire Board of Trustees for the WI and then becoming County Treasurer for seven years. This position gave me the level of confidence I needed to stand up in front of 600 ladies to present the report of the Federation.
In total I served 15 years on the Board, chairing several committees. On many occasions at these meetings I met some very interesting people. The highlight was being invited to two Queen’s Garden Parties, one in Henley where I found Richard Preston and his wife also present, and one at Buckingham Palace. I was introduced to the Duchess of Cornwall on the occasion of her visit to the WI college at Marcham, where she remarked that she would not enjoy the job of Treasurer dealing with accounts. I was most impressed that she spoke to everyone in the room.
Pauline and I will still remain members and give a hand whenever needed. Like other WI members I will join in the many activities and talks which the National Federation and Oxfordshire Federation put on for us – for example craft, cooking, art, and history lectures and many other topics – and all that Steeple Aston WI has to offer.
It has been a great honour and privilege and I am proud to have been a member and served the Steeple Aston WI with all the opportunities it has given me. Why not come and join us? You do not know what you may be missing and where it might lead.
Linda Needle (President)
All about s’mores
In the ‘Brownies in Lockdown’ article last month, Seren mentioned making chocolate s’mores treats. This was not, as some suggested, a spelling error, but an abbreviation for ‘some more’.
S’mores are a campfire treat popular in North America. They are made from toasted marshmallows and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. These crackers are not available in the UK – digestive biscuits are said to be an acceptable substitute.
The treat appears to have been a favourite with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the 1920s and a recipe is published in ‘Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts’ (1927).
30 Spring is here and according to government guidelines, or should I say ‘roadmap’, we can see a beaming light at the end of this exceptionally long tunnel we have all been travelling down over the past 14 months.
I think I can say that all our members have had their first ‘jab’ and given a few more weeks will have received their second. With this in mind, The Valentine Club committee has come up with a cunning plan to open up again after the longest break in our 69-year history. With the kind assistance of Middle Aston House, we are going to meet on the 20th July at this wonderful setting for a sumptuous tea and an opportunity to enjoy the company of all our members.
More details will be revealed over the next few weeks, but this is hopefully something to look forward to as we all start to be released from what has felt like a lifetime of confinement in our homes. In the meantime, keep safe, watch out for others and enjoy the longer days that are upon us now.
For more information about the club go to www.steepleaston.org.uk or visit our own website www.valentineclub.wixsite/aston or simply call me on 01869 340512.
Kind regards to everyone, keep smiling and keep an eye out for your neighbours and friends.
Richard Preston – Group organiser [email protected]
Are you fed-up with doing the same old walks?
Take a look at walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire/
With hundreds of walks to freely download and print, it also has books of walks, contact details for walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group, all the information is here in one place.
John Harris says “There is so much walking information on the web, but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the www.walkinginengland.co.uk suite of websites, one for each county in England) has brought it together in one place. Whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a suitable walk.”
With walks from half-a-mile to more than twelve, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone will be able find a walk to enjoy. Note that lockdown restrictions might still be affecting how far you can travel from home and whether walking in groups is allowed, but you will be able to plan walks for when restrictions are lifted.
31 Horse & Groom, Caulcott
Unspoilt 17th century thatched coaching inn, specialising in high quality seasonal food inspired by the best of French and English cuisine. North Oxfordshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2019 Takeaway available during lockdown: Menus changing weekly
Opening times:
Fri and Sat 6-8pm; Sun 12-2 pm
www.horseandgroomcaulcott.co.uk
Lower Heyford Road, Caulcott, OX25 4ND 01869 343257
32 Steeple Aston Golf Society
Our road map to playing golf seems to be sort of getting on track, The Wychwood, unfortunately, is not possible on 7th May, however The Springs say we are OK for 11th June so that will be our first meeting of the year. For more information please contact Alan or Chris on 01869 340423 / 347173.
Marital Understanding How men and women record things in their diaries......
Wife's Diary: Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong. He said, “Nothing...” I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly and kept driving. I can't explain his behaviour. I don't know why he didn't say, “I love you, too.” When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt that he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep. I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.
Husband's Diary: A two-foot putt...... who the hell misses a two-foot putt!
Alan Brewer
33 Photo: © Miggy Wild
Achieving natural results with Adobe Lightroom
March saw a return visit from Nathan Barry to speak to us about achieving a natural result with Lightroom. Nathan is primarily a landscape photographer who aims to achieve a natural effect when in post-production with an image.
During the interactive evening Nathan explained his thought process, by demonstrating within Lightroom the variety of changes he might make to a photograph. The possibilities he suggested were making the sky brighter in a reflection, using a graduated filter to make the sky darker or a crop to focus the eye to move through the image. It was interesting how a little movement of the adjustment sliders made a difference to the results.
Nathan emphasised the importance of the tone curve and how effective tweaking the curve could be. Members bravely submitted a selection of their images for a makeover by Nathan with the subtle changes improving the photograph even more. Regardless of the members’ expertise everyone found the evening interesting, including the use of the lens correction button for a subtle vignette.
Nathan Barry’s images can be seen at www.theimageproject.xyz
Clever software can enhance an image. Everyone was encouraged to build on the skills workshops previously delivered, pre-pandemic, by Jim Muller. So, more tweaking of the sliders will be the order of the day from now on.
Our next meeting will the AGM on 7th April at 7.30pm followed by the ‘What is it?’ slideshow. You are welcome to join us by Zoom – go to the website to find the links. Who knows – it might not be too long before we can meet in person.
Anne Hunsley www.addphoto.co.uk
34 The Cricket Report
35 36 37 38 Church Matters
Christ is Risen! I would like to begin by wishing everyone a very happy Easter.
Every time I take my dog out for a walk it seems as if someone else has had the vaccine and I hear the same mix of stories – a bit of a sore arm and surprising welling up of hope. By the time this is published, I very much hope I’ve experienced both for myself.
Honestly, like everyone else there have been moments over the past few months when hope has run a bit low in the Rectory. But when it has…I have been reminded again and again just how amazing God’s love is, and just how amazingly that love works.
For, as on Good Friday we see Jesus’ hands outstretched in love on the cross, through the whole long painful year behind us I have seen so many hands outstretched in love across our village. Hands to share, to care, to help, to reach out and simply to love. Hands that have been prevented from touching other hands have yet touched hearts. Our care, our love, is a wonderful reflection of God’s care and love at work around us, for as St Teresa of Avila said:
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.”
I have been asked many times over these hard months, where is God? As I have seen constant kindnesses between neighbours and strangers all around, even when hope has run low my eyes have been lifted up and my answer has been: here. Right here. And so thank you, because though my hope has run low, you have made sure it never ran dry.
Easter Church
This year we will do our very best to hold in-person services on Easter Sunday, so that we can see that hope, that love, that presence of Jesus in each others’ eyes, face-to-face.
We are planning to run three services on Easter Sunday, April 4th. In North Aston and Tackley church- yards we will hold very short events at 9am (North Aston) and 10am (Tackley) which will see a bell rung, the Easter Gospel read, a shout of praise and a prayer together. In Steeple Aston churchyard at 11am we will hold an open air Communion for anyone and everyone in the Benefice to attend. No need to book. Come, wear a face covering/mask, use hand sanitiser, bring your own chair and make sure you keep good distance away from anyone you don’t live with! If the weather is bad, it will just be a brief event as at the other two churches; otherwise we will have a full outdoor communion service to celebrate Easter together. Everyone welcome.
And our online services Worship at Home will carry on through April (including at Easter), available on our website www.sntchurch.com or the special phone number 929021 until (hopefully) we begin regular in-person worship again with a new series of outdoor communions around our churchyards from the beginning of May. North Aston on May 2nd is scheduled as the first of those. Put it in your diary!
Keep watching the website and church noticeboards for further news. Here’s to an Easter full of hope and to some of that hope being fulfilled soon.
Revd Marcus Green 39 40 C&S Chimney Services h t • New Chimneys, Rebuilds and i o Repairs m v • Stove Installations n e • Chimney Lining e s • Internal and External Twin y Wall Chimney Systems s • Stove Service and Repair • Lead Flashing • Bird guards & Cowls
Steve 07947701953 Office 01295811083 Email [email protected]
cschimneysoxfordshire.co.uk
Steeple Aston Online News, information, pictures, local directory, weather forecast, noticeboard and much more… Your village. Your website. Visit today!
www.steepleaston.org.uk facebook.com/steepleastonvillage
41 Church Services April 2021
Easter Sunday April 4th
A Reading of the Easter Gospel: 9am North Aston Church Yard 10am Tackley Church Yard these short services include a reading, a prayer, and a bell being rung to celebrate the day
Easter Open Air Benefice Communion 11am Steeple Aston Church Yard Please bring your own seat to Steeple Aston, and face coverings/masks are required at all services. In case of bad weather, the Benefice Communion will be replaced by a third short reading of the Easter Gospel. There is no need to book for Easter services
The remaining Sunday Services in April can be found week by week online at: Worship at Home www.sntchurch.com or listen to the service on the phone: ring 929021 if you don’t have internet Everyone welcome!
42 Local Info
Steeple Aston Village Hall Rubbish bin collection day isThursday Hiring Fee Caution April May 1st green 6th blue & brown Hall (meeting night) th th Represented Clubs...... … £9 8 blue & brown 13 green Non-Represented Clubs...... … £17 15th green 20th blue & brown 22nd blue & brown 27th green Hall Only (social occasion) th Represented Clubs...... … £32 29 green Others...... … £53
All Facilities (social occasion) Village Residents ...... … £65 ...... £200 Steeple Aston Sports and Recreation Centre Represented Clubs...... … £65 ...... £200 Others - up to 6 hours...... … £110 ...... £300 Others - over 6 hours...... … £160 ...... £300 Letting Charges All Facilities (off peak - 4 hours) Social Function peak times (up to 6 hours) £55 Village Residents ...... … £30 ...... £75 Represented Clubs...... … £30 ...... £75 Social Function off-peak (up to 5 hours) £27.50 Committee Room Represented Clubs...... … £6 Meeting of represented club: £11 per session Non-Represented Clubs...... … £12 Discount for represented clubs – 15% for six block bookings Caution Money for Private Lettings: £100 Letting agent: Katie Rushworth - Tel: 340196 Letting Agent : Katie Rushworth (340196) Chairman: Barbara Brewer (340423) Mail to: [email protected] Secretary: Margaret Bulleyment (347346) Chairman - Torquil McLusky - Tel: 347914 A represented club must send a representative to the Village Hall Committee meetings. Treasurer - Chris Cooper - Tel: 347173
43 Steeple Aston Calendar
Few village events are taking place during lockdown. Check the village website at www.steepleaston.org.uk (Home > Calendar) for the latest information.
April
Easter Sunday. See page 42 for Sunday April 4th Church services SAL May issue copy and advert Thursday 15th deadline
Monday 19th Parish Council meeting Zoom 7.30pm
Saturday 24th Deddington Farmers’ Market
May
SAL June issue copy and advert Thursday 15th deadline
Monday 17th Parish Council meeting Zoom 7.30pm
Saturday 22th Deddington Farmers’ Market
Due to coronavirus many clubs and societies are unable to meet in person but may still meet online. Please contact the organisers for the most up to date information. Contact details can be found on page 2.
Choral Society Rehearsals. Village Hall - 7.45pm - Mondays Badminton. Village Hall - 10am -12.30pm - Tuesdays Bell Ringing practice. Church Tower - 7.30pm - Tuesdays Scouts. Sport & Rec Centre - 7.30pm - Tuesdays Baby and Toddler Group. Sport & Rec Centre - 9am -11am - Thursdays Cricket Nets. Robinson’s Close - 6pm - Thursdays Badminton. Village Hall - 8pm - Thursdays Village History Centre (SAVA) closed at present
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